List 2 characteristics of a frame story and explain how one of the stories you read demonstrates these characteristics.

Question

I think what a frame story is a story within a story. Am I right?

I've read the following stories:

- The Canterbury Tales (The Pardoner's tale and The Wife of Bath)
- Beowulf (The battle with Grendel, The Monster's Mother, The Final Battle)
- Gilgamesh
- Iliad (Book 22: Death of Hector)
- Federigo's Falcon
- The Day of Destiny from Le Morte d'Arthur

Help would really be appreciated.

Answer 1

Here's a nice, short, short story that is also a frame story:
http://xroads.virginia.edu/~hyper/POE/oval.html

Take a little time to read it. You won't be sorry.

Then apply the assignment directions to this story, and you should be able to apply those ideas to one of the works you are to focus on.

Let us know what you come up with.